Former president Alvaro Uribe’s security chief worked “hand in hand” with paramilitary organization AUC, the extradited leader of the organization testified Wednesday.
Mancuso, who is being held in a U.S. jail, told a Bogota court that former presidential security chief Mauricio Santoyo made illegal wiretaps for the AUC providing them with information about suspected FARC collaborators.
The former AUC commander said that Santoyo conducted these activities after paramilitaries gave him phone numbers of suspected FARC and ELN collaborators.
“Santoyo worked hand in hand with the AUC, with its commander [, the late] Carlos Costaño, with all of us,” said Mancuso, adding that the retired police general did whatever the paramilitary organization asked of him.
According to Mancuso, this alliance enabled paramilitaries to capture guerilla leaders, including Ronald Ruiz and alias “Byron” among other FARC and ELN members. The former paramilitary chief said Santoyo was instrumental in “the structure of these interceptions.”
In his statement, Mancuso, who is on trial for 138 charges related to his activity as head of the paramilitary organization, said that he was unwilling to point the finger at any other government officials for their involvement with paramilitary organizations, as he was afraid for the safety of his family.